02 9541 3500How to Integrate Analytical Techniques in Battery Recycling
Currently, the Australian battery market is witnessing significant growth driven by several factors such as increasing uptake of clean energy, electric vehicles (EVs), portable electronics, a reduced reliance on coal power generation, government support, and advancements in battery technologies.
Before exploring recycling challenges, it’s worth considering how AI is accelerating battery materials development, potentially transforming how we approach battery performance, efficiency, and sustainability.
It’s estimated that about 90% of current coal capacity would retire by 2034-35. This underscores the effort needed to increase the clean energy generation, energy storage capacity and the urgent need for efficient and sustainable battery recycling processes.
Although Australia accounts for about 48% of global lithium mine production, Australia lacks domestic EV and battery manufacturing and recycling capacity. Batteries are mostly imported and embedded within finished products, such as EVs and handheld devices like mobile phones. Once these Li-ion batteries are disposed of a small percentage, around 10%, gets collected for recycling while the majority ends up being stockpiled or landfilled, which can lead to causing fires in waste management trucks and facilities.
There is an urgent need for expanding battery collection and recycling for LIBs since the direct export of battery waste overseas is restricted. Collected LIBs must be pre-processed into black mass (a powdered material containing valuable metals extracted from shredded LIBs) domestically, necessitating the development of sufficient pre-processing capacity within Australia.
As demand for critical raw materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel intensifies, their scarcity further enhances the need for reuse. Without effective recycling, vast quantities of valuable materials risk being lost to landfill, while hazardous waste can leach toxic substances into the environment. Moreover, growing legislative pressures worldwide—such as extended producer responsibility laws and mandatory recycling targets—are pushing manufacturers to adopt closed-loop systems that recover materials and reduce environmental impact. Developing robust battery recycling infrastructure is essential to support a circular economy, safeguard resources, and mitigate the ecological footprint of the energy transition.
Analytical techniques play a pivotal role in maximising recovery and purity in battery recycling by accurately identifying and quantifying the composition of recovered materials. By enabling precise separation of valuable elements such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel from contaminants, these techniques ensure more efficient processing, higher-quality outputs, and improved compliance with environmental and industry standards.
The Battery Recycling Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities
Common battery chemistries such as lithium-ion (Li-ion), lithium iron phosphate (LFP), and lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) each feature complex material compositions that challenge recycling efforts. Li-ion batteries can vary widely in structure and content, with LFP containing lithium, iron, and phosphate, while NMC includes a blend of nickel, manganese, cobalt, and lithium. These varying chemistries require tailored recovery processes due to differences in material value, stability, and recyclability, making accurate identification and sorting essential for efficient recycling.
Battery recycling typically involves four key stages:
- Collection & Sorting: Spent batteries are gathered and sorted by chemistry and size to ensure safe and efficient downstream processing.
- Discharging & Dismantling: Batteries are safely discharged to prevent hazards, then manually or mechanically dismantled to remove casings and separate components.
- Pre-treatment (Shredding → Black Mass): Batteries are shredded under controlled conditions, producing a mixture called “black mass” that contains valuable metals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite.
- Metallurgical Processing: Depending on the target materials and desired purity, the black mass can undergo further refinement through:
* pyrometallurgy – high-temperature smelting, typically used in the mining industry, is energy intensive, has low recovery rates and generates hazardous CO2 emissions.
* hydrometallurgy – chemical leaching using acids or solvents to dissolve metals in a liquid solution that can be precipitated out of solution individually and recovered for reuse. This method uses less energy compared to pyrometallurgy, however generates significant quantities of sulphate waste that is landfilled posing environmental risks.
* direct recycling – reconditioning cathode materials, which can be labour intensive and require high specific tailored approach for effective recycling given the complexity and variety of Li-ion battery chemistries.
* electro-hydrometallurgy – applying an electric current to a leaching solution containing dissolved metals, enabling the selective extraction and recovery of cobalt, nickel, and lithium as pure metals—instead of alloys or salts—returning them into the supply chain for battery manufacturing or other advanced industrial applications.
Battery recycling faces several key challenges that hinder efficiency, scalability, and sustainability:
- Diverse Chemistries and Designs: Modern batteries come in various chemistries (e.g., LFP, NMC, LCO) and configurations, making standardised recycling difficult and requiring chemistry-specific processes. Extracting high-purity materials from mixed black mass requires advanced, energy-intensive techniques (e.g., hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy), that are still under development. These recycling processes are often costly and complex, with fluctuating market values for recovered materials like lithium and cobalt impacting profitability.
- Lack of Collection Infrastructure & Safety Risks: Inadequate collection systems and low consumer awareness lead to poor return rates of end-of-life batteries, especially small consumer devices. Batteries can retain charge even when spent, posing fire, explosion, and toxic exposure hazards during handling, transport, and dismantling.
- Lack of Standardisation & Regulation: Inconsistent or underdeveloped regulations across regions delay investment and hinder the establishment of efficient recycling networks. The absence of design-for-recycling standards in battery manufacturing increases disassembly time and cost.
Addressing these challenges requires coordinated efforts across industry, government, and research institutions to improve battery design, build robust recycling infrastructure, and develop more efficient, scalable technologies
Australia possesses world-class R&D capabilities for supporting a viable battery component-manufacturing and recycling sector.
Our researchers at the CSIRO have recently constructed a pilot plant at their site in Clayton for recycling LIBs which has the potential to make the process much safer – not just in Australia but around the world. The plant is a first of it’s kind in Australia and is equipped with the latest technology for safe dry shredding of LIBs under an inert nitrogen gas atmosphere (N2). It also includes a novel process to recover lithium electrolyte salt using the dry shredded material as a pure crystal which can be used for making new batteries.
Why Analytical Techniques Are Non-Negotiable in Battery Recycling
Battery recycling is more than breaking down old batteries—it’s a technically demanding, precision-driven process. Without robust analytical techniques, it would be impossible to operate recycling facilities that are safe, compliant, economically viable, and capable of supporting a circular battery economy.
Analytical techniques are important to support battery recycling because they ensure:
1. Precise Material Identification and Quantification
Used batteries contain complex chemistries (e.g., lithium-ion, nickel-metal hydride), and each type requires different recycling methods. Analytical techniques such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) identify and quantify metals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese, to maximise recovery.
2. Process Optimisation
Analytical techniques enable data-driven optimisation, leading to higher recovery yields, reduced waste, improved product quality, and more efficient use of energy and resources—making battery recycling more economically viable and environmentally sustainable. By accurately characterising the composition, particle size, morphology, density, flowability, and purity of materials, these techniques help recyclers make informed decisions about sorting, separation, leaching, and purification processes.
3. Safety and Hazard Assessment
Spent batteries may contain unstable compounds, residual charge, or toxic materials. Analytical methods can help monitor emissions and effluents during chemical processing and ensure recovered materials are free from contaminants and safe for reuse. Using the desktop Phenom XL SEM-EDS battery recyclers can perform inhouse assessments of metal purity to ensure recycled materials meet the quality demands of battery manufacturers.
Key Analytical Techniques & Their Applications in the Workflow
1. Microscopy & Elemental Analysis (SEM-EDS)
The desktop Phenom XL Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) plays a crucial role in battery recycling by providing high-resolution imaging and elemental analysis of battery materials – all inhouse. Its speed, ease of use, and large sample chamber make it especially valuable for quality control, material identification, and failure analysis throughout the recycling process.
Use in Recycling: Detects and quantifies elements such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and aluminum in electrode particles.
Purpose: Confirms material identity and purity before reuse and checks for impurities or cross-contamination during sorting and processing.
2. Microscopy & Morphological Analysis (SEM-EDS)
The Phenom XL SEM supports samples up to 100 mm x 100 mm to provide high-resolution images of particle surfaces and microstructures – all inhouse. It allows inspection of bulkier components like shredded battery fragments, tabs, and foils reducing the need for complex sample preparation and speeds up workflow in labs.
Use in Recycling: Reveals the condition of recovered materials like graphite, cathode powders (e.g., LiCoO₂, NMC), and separator films. SEM allows users to examine morphology and chemistry of degraded particles (e.g., cracked cathode particles, oxidised graphite).
Purpose: Identifies degradation patterns, contamination, or mechanical damage—helping to assess whether materials can be reused or must be refined further.
3. Raman Microscopy & Morphological analysis (Morphologi 4 – ID)
The Malvern Morphologi 4 combines automated particle imaging with chemical identification via Raman spectroscopy. In battery recycling, it serves a critical dual function:
1/ determining and classifying the morphology (shape, size, texture) for thousands of individual particles to generate detailed distributions of elongation, circularity, convexity, and equivalent diameter.
2/ identifying their chemical composition by matching spectral fingerprints to known material libraries —all on a particle-by-particle basis.
This capability makes the Morphologi 4-ID especially valuable for analysing complex, heterogeneous powders derived from spent batteries, where contamination, compositional variation, and material purity are key concerns.
Use in recycling: Recovered cathode/anode powders can be analysed to identify the proportion of desirable particles (eg. NMC, LFP, graphite, carbon black) vs undesirable particles like impurities in a recycled batch. Contaminants affect battery performance and must be removed or accounted for. Raman ID pinpoints their presence even at low concentrations.
Purpose: Many recovered materials have similar sizes but different compositions. Morphologi 4-ID distinguishes them and quantifies each component, guiding sorting, purification, or reuse.
4. Particle Size Analysis (Laser Diffraction)
The Mastersizer 3000+ is a state-of-the-art laser diffraction particle size analyser that plays a critical role in battery recycling by measuring the particle size distribution (PSD) of recovered materials. Uses laser light scattering to rapidly measure particle size distribution from 10 nanometres to 3.5 millimetres. Particle size is a key parameter affecting the performance, reusability, and resale value of cathode and anode materials such as NMC, LFP, graphite, and carbon black.
Use in Recycling: PSD can be monitored after grinding, milling or sieving steps to ensure consistent material quality and efficient processing, reducing waste and improving yield. Ensuring a uniform particle size in electrode slurries can help assess the dispersion of recovered materials to improve coating consistency and battery performance.
Purpose: Particle size a critical quality parameter in reclaimed materials which can affect electrochemical performance, tap density, and flowability of a powder. Therefore evaluating and controlling particle size is critical in battery manufacturing.
5. Surface Area and Porosity Analysis
The Micromeritics TriStar and 3Flex measure nitrogen gas adsorption to determine surface area and pore size distribution. These measurements are crucial for determining material suitability, ensuring quality control, and maximising recovery value.
Use in Recycling: Determine the surface area of recovered graphite, NMC, LFP, and other cathode/anode powders and evaluate changes in porosity due to aging, cycling, or thermal processing.
Purpose: Surface area and porosity affect ion transport, rate capability, and battery life. High surface area may indicate degradation or contamination while optimal surface area supports reusability.
6. True Density Measurement (Helium Pycnometry)
The Micromeritics AccuPyc uses Helium gas displacement to determine the true or skeletal density of solids and powders.
Use in Recycling: Measuring the density of cathode/anode powders can help to detect degradation, porosity, or contamination. This provides key information for assessing whether materials are suitable for direct reuse or need further refining.
Purpose: These measurements are critical for understanding tap density, packing efficiency, and energy density in new cells.
7. Pore analysis (Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry – MIP)
The Micromeritics AutoPore is an analytical instrument that forces Mercury into pores under pressure to measure pore size and volume.
Use in Recycling: The technique is used to characterise meso- and macroporosity in electrode materials and separators and to assesses structural integrity and potential for reuse.
Purpose: Porosity affects electrolyte diffusion, mechanical strength, and battery performance.
8. Powder Flow Behaviour (Powder Rheometer)
The Micromeritics FT4 is a specialised instrument for measuring the flow properties and behaviour of powders, which is critically important in battery recycling—particularly when working with recovered cathode and anode materials like NMC, LFP, graphite, and carbon black. Powders with complex behaviour, such as those found in battery recycling can be studied under different flow conditions, for example flow energy under different stresses, compressibility and shear strength.
Use in recycling: Recovered cathode (e.g., NMC) and anode (graphite) materials must flow easily for reuse in slurry preparation and electrode fabrication.
Purpose: Poor flow can cause clogging, segregation, and inconsistent mixing and coating, affecting battery performance.
Integrating Techniques for a Holistic Approach
In battery recycling, no single analytical method can fully characterise the complex materials and diverse contaminants found in end-of-life batteries. A holistic, multi-technique approach is essential to maximise recovery efficiency, verify material quality, and ensure suitability for reuse.
By integrating complementary techniques—such as SEM, particle sizing, surface analysis, powder rheology, and chemical identification—recyclers gain a complete picture of both the physical and chemical nature of recovered materials.
Future Outlook: Advancing Recycling with Smarter Analytics
The future of battery recycling relies on smarter, integrated analytics that deliver faster, more precise insights into the recycling process. As demand for efficient and safer batteries surges, recyclers must process greater volumes with tighter quality control.
Advanced tools—like AI-powered SEM analysis, real-time particle sizing with machine learning data evaluation tools, and automated chemical identification—will streamline workflows and improve material recovery efficiency. Combining data across techniques will enable predictive modeling and adaptive process optimisation.
This data-driven approach can support global sustainability goals by making closed-loop battery manufacturing scalable, reliable, and economically viable. Smarter analytics are the key to unlocking recycling’s full potential.
Using the latest, advanced, data-driven tools will enable better material recovery and quality control, supporting a sustainable, closed-loop battery recycling ecosystem.
Contact ATA Scientific for more information about the battery recycling ecosystem.
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